Personal profile

Research interests

Sean joined the Department for Health in 2006 from the University of Washington (Seattle). He obtained a PhD in Kinesiology from Michigan State University in 2002 where he worked at the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports. Sean is the Director of Studies for the MRes in Health and Well-Being and serves as a University representative for the ESRC funded South West Doctoral Training Partnership.

Sean’s research explores how individual differences in growth and maturation contribute towards adolescent development in the contexts of sport and exercise. Adopting a biocultural perspective, his research seeks to understand how biological and psychosocial factors interact to impact athlete selection and socialization in youth sports, and the maintenance of health behaviors during adolescence. Other research interests include the development, implementation, and evaluation of school and sports based initiatives that encourage active and healthy living through positive coaching and mentoring. Experienced in the use of invasive and non-invasive methods for the assessment of biological maturation in youth, he has worked in research and consultancy roles with the Premier League, Football Association, Lawn Tennis Association, British Gymnastics, Southampton Football Club, and Bath Rugby. He has also contributed to age estimation proceedings as an expert witness for various legal firms.

He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts and book chapters, and has an h-index of 32 and an i10-index of 59. His research has been funded by numerous agencies including the Economic and Social Research Council, Medical Research Council, British Academy, and 21st Century Legacy. Sean has peer reviewed for over 40 journals and has served on the editorial board of the International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching, and was a former Associate-Editor for the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology.

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